Price tag holder



Jan. 27, 1953 J. STINGL 2,626,472

PRICE TAG HOLDER Filed March 9, 1949 Patented Jan. 27, 1,953

PRICE TAG HOLDER,

Joseph Stingl, Stratford, Conn., assignor to S & L

Metal Products Company,

a partnership Application March 9, 1949, Serial No. 80,421

4 Claims.

This invention relates to price tags and the like, and has for an object to provide such a device which is capable of fitting in present shelf moldings, and will even automatically adjust itself to different sizes of or variations in these moldings.

It is also an object to provide a device of this character which can be easily and quickly changed, and can be inserted in the shelf molding at any point along the length of the molding, but can still be slid in the molding to center and position the tag.

It is a further object to provide a device which cannot be easily slid out of place when in use, as by children, for example.

It is a further object to provide a structure in which the whole price number, comprising several digits, may be provided in one folder and applied as a unit, and also a device which can be provided in any lengths for any different number of folded strips and digits.

A still further object is to provide a structure in which the numbers or other designations are protected by a flexible transparent cover or front member, which is also resilient and in which the resilient action of this member is employed as a means for removably retaining the device in place in the molding.

With these and other objects in View, I have devised the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification. It is, however, to be understood the invention is not limited to the specific details of construction and arrangement shown, but may embody various changes and modifications with the scope of the invention.

In this drawing:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a portion of a shelf molding showing one of my improved price tags in position therein;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section thereof;

Fig. 3 is an end view showing how the molding may be mounted on the upper edge of a glass partition, for example;

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing how the molding may be mounted on a different type of support, and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the folded panels carrying the different notations, such, for example, as numbers or digits.

It is common practice in various stores, such, for example, as grocery stores and the like, where the goods to be sold are placed on shelves, to provide on the front edge of the shelf a molding which may extend the whole. length or only a portion of the length of the shelf, in which its upper and lower longitudinal edges folded over inwardly toward each other on the front of the strip to provide spaced channels in which the opposite edges of the price tags, such, for example, as heavy paper or cardboard panels with the numbers or digits printed on them, may be inserted by sliding them longitudinally from the end of the molding. Such tags are exposed through the front of the molding and may be knocked out of place or removed by children entering the store, and as they are slid into the molding from the end thereof the proprietor must take care to insert the different prices in the proper order, and if one price in the intermediate part of the molding is to be changed all the tags between this and the end of the molding must be removed before the new tag can be replaced. These and other difficulties are overcome by the present structure.

In the drawing a section of the standard type of molding is shown at H) mounted on the front edge of a shelf II. This molding is made of a strip of sheet metal including an intermediate body portion l2, and the opposite longitudinal edges are folded over inwardly and toward each other to form longitudinal flanges l3 and I4 providing channels l5 opening toward or facing each other. It is common practice to insert stiff paper or cardboard panels, having .the price numbers or digits printed thereon by sliding their opposite edges longitudinally in these channels from one end of the molding.

The present tag comprise laterally spaced side members l6 which members are alike except reversed. They are preferably formed from a strip of sheet metal and comprise an intermediate body portion l1, and the portion outwardly of this intermediate portion is folded upon itself, as shown at Hi, to provide a flange I9 and an inwardly facing channel 20. The portion of the side member inwardly of the intermediate portion I1 is folded upon itself in the opposite direction, as shown at 2|, forming an outwardly facing channel 22, and the inner portion of this fold provides a backing shoulder 23. The intermediate portion [1, while connecting the two folds forms a spacing member between them which is at substantially right angles to the back portions of each fold;

Connecting the two side members is a front cover strip 24. This strip is a strip of transparent flexible resilient material, such, for example, as a suitable plastic (2, plastic similar to Cel- 2 Y price tags are mounted. The common type 0 this molding comprises a sheet metal strip having luloid or the like being adaptable for this purpose), and its opposite longitudinal edges are seated in and held by the channels 20 in the outer folds l8 of the two side members. When so held in the side members, this front cover strip is spaced from the inner portion 23 of the back fold 2| by the intermediate body portion I! for the insertion of printed panels 25 which are held and supported by th portions ll, 23 and the cover plate 24. These may be any suitable type of panel, but the preferred type is that shown in Fig. 5, in which a number of individual panels 26 are secured together and folded upon themselves by a connecting fold 21, and any number of panels may be used withprinted digits or other designations on them, as desired. Thus, by use of a strip comprising five panels, all the digits from to 9 may be provided in each strip, and therefore in setting up a price number comprising any number of digits the strip for each may be folded to expose the digit desired, and it is not therefore necessary to have a number of duplicate separate panels for each digit, as would be required as where single panels are used for the various digits, which single panels are therefore apt to become lost and whenv removed from the tag must be separated and arranged so as to be easily found when wanted. With this folded strip any number of these identical strips may be provided and kept in stock and then each merely folded to expose the digit desired and inserted in the holder as indicated, greatly facilitating the setting up of any price tag or label as desired. It is not necessary to confine each strip to individual digits, as where certain numbers, are used a great deal the strip can be made of suflicient width with the individual panels carrying the complete price number, for example, as two or more digits or other designation as desired.

In assembling the device the strip 25 comprising the panel, or individual separate panels may beused if desired, are inserted in the holder by sliding theminto it from one end thereof with their upper and lower edges in the space between the backing-up portion 23 and the cover strip 24. The resilient cover strip 24 by its resiliency tends to flatten out and therefore to separate the opposite side members I 6. In placing it in the molding ID the. user grips the device between his thumbv and finger placed on the opposite side members, as indicated by-the broken lines in Fig. l, and then by pressing these two sidev members toward each other the flexible resilient cover strip 24 bends or bows outwardly and isv stressed, and the side members can be pressed toward each other sufiiciently to insert the free edges, of the back portions 28 of the inner fold into the channels IS in the molding, and then by releasing the pressure on the side members the resiliency of the cover strip 24 will tend to shift these side members outwardly and seat the free edges of these portions 28 in the channels 15 of the molding, and the free edges I3 and [4 of the molding will be seated in the. channels 22 of the rear fold of the side members. The resilient action of the cover strip 24 will automatically retain them in this position and provide a sufficient gripping action for retaining the strip in the molding against accidental displacement. However, if it is desired to remove the tag from the molding, all that is necessary is to reverse this operation by again gripping the side members I between the thumb and fingers and pressing them. toward each other to remove them from their engaging action with the flanges I3 and ll of the molding.

With this device the assembled tag as it is inserted through the front of the molding can be placed in the molding at any point without sliding it along the molding from one end thereof, and it is therefore possible to mount it in or remove it from the molding at any point throughout the length of the molding without disturbing any of the other price tags. The resilient action of the cover strip 24 automatically adjusts the holder or tag to different sizes of molding or variations in these moldings, and also covers and protects the panels 25 carrying the figures or other notations. The tag can be easily and quickly changed with a very simple operation, and after it is inserted in the molding can be adjusted to the proper position by sliding it longitudinally in the molding to center or otherwise position it. However, in view of the pressure exerted by the resilient cover strip 24 on the, flanges of the molding, it is not easily shifted out of place, as, for example, by children entering the store. The tag can be made in any length for any number of, different strips 25 or any number of digits. It can be applied to moldings mounted in various ways. Thus, for example, as shown in Fig. 3, themolding [0 instead of being secured to the front edge of ashelf, as shown in Fig. 2, can be mounted on a spring clip 29 of any suitable type. The clip in the form shown in Fig. 3 comprises a substantially U-shaped clip with resilient side members or fingers 30 adapted to grip th top edge of an upright. glass partition 3!, for example, such as, are commonly used in chain store counters, the molding being secured to the clip by any suitable means, such, for example, as the rivet 32. Or the molding can be mounted on other suitabletypes of support, such, for example, as the angular bracket 33, as shown in Fig. 4, one leg 34 of which may be secured to any suitable support 35', and the molding may be secured to the other leg 36 by any suitable. means such as the rivets. 31.

It will seen from. the above that in this structure the flexible resilient transparent cover strip 2-; not only acts as a cover and protection for the printed panels containing the digits or other notations, but it also assists in retaining these panels within the holder, and particularly by its spring or resilient action automatically grips the molding to automatically retain the device in the supporting mounting or molding, but also permits easy removal of the tag from the mountmg.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, I claim:

1. A price tag comprising spaced separate individual side members each comprising a strip of sheet metal including an intermediate portion with the edge portions on opposite sides of said intermediate portion folded upon themselves with the interior of the folds facing in opposite directions forming open sided channels, said side members being arranged with one set of folds facing outwardly and the other set facing inwardly so that there is a pair of channels on one side facing inwardly toward each other and a pair on the other side facing away from each other, a flexible resilient cover strip of transparent sheet material arranged with its opposite edges secured, in said inwardly facing channels, and said outwardly facing channels adapted to receive inwardly facing flanges on a supporting strip and be held in position on said flanges by the resilient'action of said strip.

A price tag comprising spaced separate individual side members each comprising a strip of sheet metal folded upon itself along one edge forming open sided channels, said members being arranged with said channels facing inwardly toward each other, an indicating member provided with side edges seated in said channels, a cover strip of transparent flexible resilient material over said indicating member connecting said side members with its opposite edges seated in said channels so that the indicating member is visible through the strip, and means on the opposite edges of said side members to engage edge flanges of a supporting member by resilient action of said cover strip to mount the tag in said supporting member.

3. A price tag comprising spaced separate individual side members provided with inwardly facing opposed channels, an indicating member provided with side edges seated in said channels, a cover strip of transparent flexible resilient sheet material arranged with its side edges seated in said channels over said indicating member to connect said side members, said side members being also provided with outwardly facing channels to the rear of the cover strip to detachably receive laterally spaced longitudinal flanges on a supporting strip under resilient action of said cover strip tending to separate said side members and mount them on the supporting strip, and said side members being provided with means to removably mount printed panels to the rear side resilient action of the cover strip, each of said side members being provided with a shoulder spaced backwardly from the cover strip, and an indicating member mounted between the cover strip and said shoulders and visible through the cover strip.

JOSEPH STINGL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,402,877 McKee et al Jan. 10, 1922 1,824,794 Rohlfes Sept. 29, 1931 1,969,403 Hoge Aug. 7, 1934 2,320,463 Pavlovic June 1, 1943 2,480,686 Aigner Aug. 30, 1949 2,527,900 Warmath Oct. 31, 1950 

